Animal-trap.



No. man. I Patented on. 28, I902.

.1. E. cox.

ANIMAL TRAP. (Application filed Sept. 23, 1901.)

(No Model.)

militia.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN EMBLEY COX, OF ABINGDON, ILLINOIS.

ANlMAL-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 712,182, dated October 28, 1902.

Application filed September 23,1901. Serial No. 76,2l9. (N0 model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I,JOHN EMBLEY CoX,a citizen of the United Stat-es,residing at Abingdon,

Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Animal-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to animal-traps, having reference more particularly to that class of traps which are designed to catch and destroy mice and similar animals; and the principal object of the invention is to provide a trap of the class referred to characterized by extreme simplicity and economy of manufacture, reliability in operation, and increased facility for being baited and kept clean and in good order.

To this end myinvention resides in certain improvements in a trap of this character, the same having reference more particularly to a novel and improved manner of attaching the choker-springs to the trap-body.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved trap, showing the same as baited or set; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, to illustrate the. principal novel features of construction and arrangement of parts in which my invention resides.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the body of the trap, which is preferably made of a light and inexpensive sheet metal, such as tin, is struck up out of a single blank into the inverted-pan-shaped form shown in Fig. 2 by means of a suitable die, thus afiording to the body of the trap a fiat top or cover A and a substantially vertical annular rim B at suitable intervals, in which latter are formed circular openings 0, as usual intrap of this class.

In the top A of the trap-body, and at a short radial distance from the center thereof, are formed a series of suitably-spaced substantially rectangular openings D, each of these openings being formed in a similar manner by cutting through the metal along three sides of the opening and bending up and back the section of the'cover thus cut out, as shown at E. I also cutout of the metal plate constituting the top surface of the trap-bodya series of small radial slots,(marked F,) which communicate,respectively,with the openings D, substantially centrallyof the inner edge thereof, the longitudinal dimensions of the slots F being disposed at right angles to the longitudt nal dimensions of the openings D.

- G indicates the wire chokers, which are of the usual form and construction, and H indicates the actuating-springs for the latter, which are also of a form hitherto known and used. These latter springs are anchored in the top plate or cover A of the trap by having theiradjacentinner ends hpassedthrough the slots F, their extreme end portions being spread or bent outwardly to engage the under surface of the top plate of the trap slightly beyond. and on either side of the openings F, as clearly indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. Ihe coil h of the spring seats in the opening D,resting upon the longitudinal edges or margins of the opening and abutting squarely against the upwardly bent or turned shoulder-plates E, while the end turns of the coil contact the shorter or side edges of the opening D. From the foregoing it will be seen that the spring is very securely seated against displacement, the shoulder-plate E and the opposite inner edge of the opening D preventing its displacement in either direction radially of the trap-body, while the shorter sides of the opening D retain the spring against lateral displacement.

The choker-spring latch or trigger (designated as a whole by I) is formed of a single length of wire suitably bent to constitute also both a bait-hook K and a tripper L. In the formation of the latter that portion of the latch lying below its point of suspension M is bent inwardly a short distance, as at m, and is then bent in the form of a substantially circular loop, constituting the tripper L, whence the free straight end of the wire extends still farther inwardly to constitute the bait-hook K, on which the bait may be spitted.

When the trap is set, the tripper L and the bait-hook K lie between the depending side members of the chokers G, the tripper being substantially in the' vertical plane of the choker or a little to one sideor the other thereof and the bait-hook extending inwardly therefrom toward the center of the trap-body.

It will thus be seen that when the trap is baited and set, with the movable parts thereof substantially in the positions indicated in Fig. 2, the animal in seeking to reach the bait on the inner end of the hook K tries to insert its head through the tripper-loop L and in so doing releases the latch which holds down 5 the choker-spring and the animal is thereupon instantly caught and destroyed by the choker G in the usual manner.

My improved trap dispenses with the usual interior devices between the several opera- 0 tive sections thereof,being thus easily cleaned and baited. The choker-springs, disposed and secured as described, are put in place with great ease and facility and are Very securely held against displacement in any di- 5 rection when thus secured, as hereinabove stated.

I claimi In a trap of the class described, the combination with a sheet-metal trap-body having JOHN EMBLEY COX.

Witnesses:

W. A. THOMAS, SAMUEL ROMINE. 

